Of those 4 games (amassing 6 total plays), 2 of the games were new to me. Those two being the Batman dice game and Billionaire Banshee.

Next up: Batman Miniatures Game–

So this is something new for me. I’ve never assembled miniatures before. The closest to miniature gaming I’ve accomplished has been Heroclix over the years. My brother got me so much more to add to my Suicide Squad box. I’m now up to that set as well as the Joker crew and Halrey crew set, as well as classic Harley Quinn and “Killing Joke” Joker. I got Rob Nightwing, Cyborg and Kid Flash so he could have figures in the game he would enjoy playing. I also got some terrain pieces from my Secret Santa at work.

I had a couple days off so I started to assemble some:

﻿﻿

Miniatures from the Suicide Squad box set

﻿

These were fun to assemble. With the exception of a handful of issues, rather proud of these. I also managed to get the lamp posts assembled. Totally proud of these. These are definitely a growing interest, especially considering the other games Knight Models are doing.

New set launched this week- Revival Collection Vol. 1, but I haven’t bought any yet. First, my local shop didn’t per usual. So I’ll have to order online. Second, with the cancelation of Dragon Ball Z, I find myself debating on what deck I’d like to focus on. Right now, I have a Kagero, Link Joker and Shadow Palin deck. None are competitive at all and I’d like to try playing some tournaments. So I’m looking at singles vs what is coming set wise.

Also, I didn’t mange a single match this week. See what I did play above.

In coming weeks, this will definitely be more organized. I have some ideas of what I’d like to accomplish with this blog, but more on that soon.

Saturday was the annual International TableTop Day, hosted by the fine folks from Geek and Sundry. As usual, I spent the majority of the day running events for Comic Quest around the great games put out by WizKids (HeroClix, Dice Masters, and Attack Wing), aided by a group of great guys running the demo portion. This year, however, I managed to sneak away and play in the Dragon Ball Z constructed event. Grand prize was the limited edition 2-player playmat.

It was an 8 player event with the following decks in play:

-Krillin Black (Rob)

-Piccolo Namekian (Myself)

-Ginyu Blue x2

-Trunks Black

-Tien Red x3

Not a whole lot of variety, but I was a bit excited to face off against a Tien Red deck that I’ve been reading online about a lot. So how did I fair:

Round One: Red Tien

This round was against a fairly new player to the game and one of the guys I regularly play Dice Masters with. The game started off strongly in my favor but mid-game I experienced, first hand, the kind of card advantage a Tien Red deck can master. Luckily, a few Dragon Ball draws positioned me into place to win.

Score: 1-0

Round Two: Blue Ginyu

Well, here it is. The one deck I had never beaten in an official capacity before. Again, another strong start for me. I managed to discard several Allies and get my Piccolo to stage 2. Next combat, however, as I’m one anger away from stage 3…Wallbreaker. After that, he was able to retrieve Frieza and that was pretty much all she wrote.

Score: 1-1

Round Three: Red Tien

This was another Tien Red round against a new player that I’d never played before. Advantage was in his favor early on, but I managed to win by decking him with a stage 4 Piccolo.

Score: 2-1

Round Four: Blue Ginyu

This match was against John, the guy that beat me at the Heroes and Villains launch event last month at Book Broker. We were both playing it rather cautious. However, a few turns in and I threw caution to the wind and began blasting away. Somehow, I managed to win. This was my first and only tournament Ginyu victory!

Score: 3-1

Somehow, I was able to make it to the finals to go against…

Finals: Blue Ginyu

This was the same guy that beat me in Round 2. This match was best two out of three. Round one was a Wallbreaker to stage 2 Piccolo combed with a Blue Neck Beam. Round two was a WallBreaker second hand in. It was a slaughter. The Blue Mastery’s ability to be an Omniblock, combined with their own blocks and the ally blocks, there was no way I could land a hit let alone a critical damage hit.

Damage from this attack cannot be redirected or prevented: While the attack can still be stopped, the stage damage cannot be passed off to another personality or endured.

This attack stays in play to be used a second and third time this combat: Yes, you read that correctly. Three attacks accumulating in, hopefully, at least 9 stages of damage.

When I first saw this card, I shuddered a little at the prospect of an attack that banishes itself after use. One of the Namekian Knowledge Mastery’s strongest strengths is the Anger gain from Rejuvenating during combat. It’s hard to put cards back into your deck when you have a banished pile growing because you are willingly putting cards in it. However, I quickly realized I was wrong. This card was fantastic!

First, it is a total of 9 stages of damage that cannot be redirected or endured. If at max power stages, that’s 90% of the opposing personality’s power. Since the attack is broken up into three separate attacks for 3 stages each, your opponent has to think twice about what Energy Combat cards they decide to play on their attack. That Krillin’s Destructo Disc in their hand costs 2 stages to perform. That’s 2 stages closer to 0 and closer to this becoming pure life deck damage.

Second, that’s only base damage. It becomes even deadlier when combined with other cards. How about Namek Dragon Ball 1?

“I really don’t think you should hang out with him, Little Green…”

The best friend of many Namekian decks, this card already helped protect your other Dragon Balls, now it is tossing in an extra +1 life card per attack. We’re up to 9 stages and 3 life cards of damage.

What about the three Namekian Main Personalities?

Dodge!!

{Continuous} Your attacks deal +2 life cards of damage.

Combined with Dragon Ball 1, we are now at 9 stages and 9 life cards of damage.

“Nerd!!”

{Continuous} Your Styled attacks deal +2 life cards of damage. When you deal critical damage, you may Rejuvenate 1.

Again, we’re at 9 stage and 9 life cards with potential to you get at least 1 Rejuvenated card for an Anger gain.

“Nerd!!”

{Continuous} Your styled attacks deal +3 life cards of damage…

There is more to that one, but we are focusing purely on damage buffs right now as the remainder of the effect would not be triggered. This one is 9 stages and 12 life cards of damage.

“I’m going to call you Big Green.”

{Continuous} Whenever your opponent stops one of your attacks, he destroys the top 2 cards of his Life Deck.

Much like Gohan’s previous effect, the first half is the only part that triggers off of Namekian Backhand. Since your opponent can still stop the attacks, just not redirect or prevent them, you can still do damage off of them. If they respond with Time is a Warrior’s Tool they have just lost the top 6 cards of their Life Deck (2 cards per attack stopped).

“Nail, I saw a bird. Kick its ass!”

{Continous} Your attacks deal +3 stages of damage.

Combined with Dragon Ball 1, this would be a brutal 18 stages and 3 cards. Let’s take a moment to think about that for a moment. If your opponent is sitting at 1 stage above 0 or less, you are guaranteeing yourself 3 Critical Damage Effects. There is a potential net loss of 21 life cards from this attack combined with this MP.

This is a card that I love drawing either in the first couple rounds or near the very end. If drawn early, you have potential for your opponent to not have much in terms of power stages. That will help stall some Energy heavy decks. If drawn later in the game, the combination of later level personalities and Dragon Ball 1 helps ensure some serious beat down. Hell, we haven’t even discussed what the field would look like if you had two of these bad boys in your hand, let alone manage to get all three at once!

If there were to be a draw back to the card, which nearly every card has one, is that it cannot be tutored through Namekian Overtime. That card only allows you to search for Styled Energy Combat cards.

So, obviously I love this card, but it’s not for everyone’s play style. So if I was to give it a score…

We need a better scale, guys!

We’re giving it 6 out 7 Dragon Balls. It would be the perfect card if it could be tutored from the deck/discard pile somehow. It is a beast of card, dealing some mind blowing damage, when combined with the right cards. The banish cost is a small price to pay for 3 attacks in the end.

What do you think, Z-Warriors? Agree? Disagree? Chime in in the comments below to let us know!

I received my answer to my long winded “Can Trunks use the Namekian Knowledge Mastery” question (see last entry). Their response:

Hi,

While your explanation is well thought out and clearly written, the only current MPs that may use the Namekian Knowledge Mastery are Gohan, Piccolo, and Nail. I appreciate your obvious passion and knowledge, thanks for sharing your opinion!

Richie Williams

First, love the fact that they responded so quickly.

Second, I wish they would have given a bit more reasoning behind it, but I understand. It’s their game. Their rules. I get it, I really do.

Finally, I guess I’ll just go back to my Namekian Nail build now. It was a fun idea while it lasted. Maybe in four or five sets, once we get a proper young Trunks, I can build the Namekian Prince of Saiyans deck of my dreams.

Yes, I am calling Trunks the Prince of Saiyans. King Vegeta died, meaning his heir becomes the new King. While I love hearing Vegeta scream “I am the Prince of all Saiyans” at the top of his voice, he was their new King. Trunks is the Prince of Saiyans.

So first a correction: my final placement from the Dragons of Tarkir prerelease event was 36th. This was out of 51 players. Not horrible for my first official Magic the Gathering outing, but not particularly good either. I only won 1 out of 5 rounds and several players dropped, but I stayed in as long as I could.

Next up, I sent a question into Panini today that may or may not make me the laughing stock of the Dragon Ball Z CCG community if I’m wrong, possibly breaking the game if I’m correct. The entirety of the email is as follows:

“Team Panini,

First, loving the revitalized game! I never had the chance to play the original, but jumped at the second chance.

My question is going to be a weird one. Maybe you have been asked it, maybe you haven’t. Either way, it’s a question that has been bugging me and I’d like an answer:

Can Trunks use the “Namekian Knowledge Mastery”?

I know it reads like a question of someone trolling or trying to be funny, but I’m being very serious about this. I have put a lot into this and think he should be allowed to.

The rules in regard to whom can use the Namekian Mastery from the rule book states: “This style can only be used by Nameks or those trained by Nameks (Piccolo, Gohan, Nail, Dende, ect).” The first part is pretty obvious. Namekians should have access to their own mastery. It is the second part of the line, “…or those trained by Nameks…”, which leads me to believe that Trunks should be allowed. During the Fusion Saga of the anime and manga, Piccolo is seen training both Goten and Trunks.

Now, the quickest argument against this theory is that the main personality Trunks that we have currently is the “future” Trunks seen during the Android Saga. While the art work/screen grabs used for the card would agree with that, it also hurts it. In “Wrath of the Dragons”, Trunks and Goten use the Fusion Technique to become Gotenks, which they mastered while training under Piccolo. At the end of the movie, Tapion gifts his sword to Trunks. During the end credits, they go out of their way to include a montage of shots showing the elder Trunks fighting with his sword from the Android Saga.

Of course, the argument against using the movie as an example would be that the movies (except “Battle of the Gods” and select shorts/OVAs) are not considered cannon and that non-cannon material would have no effect on the game. While this is extremely possible, I’d see it detrimental to the life of the game. Ignoring the potential content from the movies removes several fan favorite personalities from ever coming, such as Broly or Bojack. On the flip side, it could be argued that since we are only technically to the Garlic Jr. Saga of the show (going off the artwork used from the “Heroes & Villains” expansions as reference), then he technically hasn’t been taught by Piccolo yet and shouldn’t be allowed. However, if you go off of the second option, then “Goku- Super Saiyan God” shouldn’t be allowed for use in tournament play because we haven’t gotten to the “Battle of the Gods” as of yet. I don’t think that would be a good argument, either way, as it has been stated several times that the Panini version of the game is under no obligation to follow the series in order unlike the previous iteration.

In the end, however, if the arguments of cannon and time line continuity do not win out, the fact is: Trunks was trained by Piccolo. Piccolo is a Namekian. Those who are trained by Namekians may use the Namekain Mastery.

In a strange luck of timing, there were two Dragon Ball Z Heroes and Villains launch events this weekend in town.

Saturday was a Dragon Ball Z Heroes & Villains launch event at a different venue in town. Normally, I don’t like to game locally unless it is at Comic Quest since they are my home away from home and source of 95% of all new geek goodness that comes into my house. Alas, I knew the guy running the event and was really gung-ho about trying my new Namekian Nail deck.

Sadly, it didn’t go I had hoped and planned…

Round One:

Vs. Red Frieza

This was a bit of an unfair match. This was a good friend of mine and only like his third game ever. Plus, I had helped him build his deck originally. I tried to not hold back but at the same time I had to play. I drew two of my three Crushing Beam in the same combat draw.

Score: 1-0

Round Two:

Vs. Blue Ginyu

This deck I fear simply because it is the deck I’ve never beaten in an event, still haven’t. I’ve only ever tied it. Two bad opening hands ensured a loss with this match up. He had all his Allies in play by turn 3.

Score: 1-1

Round Three:

Vs. Bye

I got the bye, a free win that is never fun.

Score: 2-1

Round Four:

Vs. Namekian Nail

This match was a card for card mirror match. The player was also one that I’d played before so I know he is skilled and very technical with his decks. It just came down to who drew their best attacks first. He did.

Score: 2-2

With that score, I came in 3rd out of 7. I won a booster, a deck box, 50-count pack of sleeves and a retro Dragon Ball Z keychain. This was their first major event and they handed out a bunch of the older promos, so I ended up with a play set of the alternate art Goku’s Kamehameha, Vegeta’s Galick Gun, and Trunk’s Sword Slash.

Sunday saw the Heroes & Villains launch event at my usual hangout, Comic Quest. I was a bit disappointed by the turn out as it kept us from being able to play for the playmat. Which bugs me a little, but I digress.

Being a sealed event with a starter and three boosters, you build the best deck you can. In my starter I pulled Goku and the Orange Mastery. My alternate foil was the Saiyan Mastery, giving me two solid candidates for play. Ultimately picked Orange for the +1 buff it gave my energy combat cards and that it gave me two options for victory: MPPV and Survival. With no chance at pulling Dragon Balls, it was the obvious choice as I hate limiting how I can win.

In the end, I went 2-1, coming in 2nd place. I got the Stare Down and Trunk’s Sword Slash alternate art promos, plus two boosters. Rob was the player who beat me both in my first round and for 1st place! He scored the same promos and four boosters.

In the end, after two grueling (in a good way) events, I am upset with how I did standing wise and I think I’ve officially solidified Dragon Ball Z as my main trading card game of choice.